Operating melting-furnaces.



No. 7|5,592. Patentd Dec. 9. I962.

W. W. LUBDELL.

OPERATING MELTING FURNACES. [Application filed Opt. 22, 1901.) (No Model.)

- aw. M

UNIT D STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LOBDELL, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

' OPERATINGMELTING- FURIYACES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 715,592, dated December 9, 1902.

'- Application filed October 22,1901. Serial No. 79,5 92. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it incty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. LOBDELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, have invented certain Improvements in Operating Melting-Furnaces, of which the following is a specifica tion.

- The object of my invention is to insure greater uniformity than usual in the operation of cupolas or other melting-furnaces provided with air-blast; and this object I attain by so treating the air intended for the blast as to deliver it to the furnace at all times under uniform or substantially uniform conditions as to its temperature and the percentage of moisture contained in it. p

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of the means which may be adopted in carrying out myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

Much difficulty is experienced by furnacemen who operate melting-furnaces, such as cupolas, which are dependent upon an airblast, because of the variations in atmospheric conditions which sometimes take place during a single run. It frequently happens that both temperature and humidity conditions vary so greatly between the beginning and end of the run that if the furnace is charged with the proportions of fuel and metal proper to bring about the desired result under the condition of blast when theheating begins the changed atmospheric conditions before the run is ended will so affect the operation of the furnace that themetal produced is'not uniform, but varies in grade, depending upon the variation in temperature and humidity of the blast. The aim of my invention, therefore, has been to so treat the air intended for the blast that its condition as to temperature and humidity when it is delivered to the furnace shall be uniform or subcarrying out my invention is that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on reference to which 1 represents a trough or conduit communicating at one end with an air-intake 2 and discharging at the other end into the intake-pipe 3 of a blowing-machine 4, which supplies the blast for the cupola, so that theair entering the conduit at one end of the same will be caused to flow throughout the length of the conduit before reaching-the blower. Suspended in the upper portion of the conduit is a pan or receptacle 5, having a'perforated bottom, this pan receiving a supply of water through a central pipe 6, so that a constant shower of water descends from the pan to the bottom of the conduit throughout substantially the entire length of the latter, the air in traversing the conduit being brought into intimate contact with these fallingv streams of water and the effect being that the air emerges from the conduit and enters the blower at a temperature very nearly approaching the temperatu re of the water and with uniform percentage of moisture. For instance, if the air at the intake is at a higher temperature than the wature and humidity. The water is prevented from accumulating in the conduit shown in Fig. 1 by means of a drain-pipe'13.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. The mode herein described of effecting uniformity in the operation of melting-furnaces using'an air-blast, said mode consisting in passing the air for said blast in intimate contact with water, whereby it is delivered to the furnace throughout a run in a substanstreams of Water, substantially as described.

'naces using an air-blast, said mode consisting In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of IO two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM W. LOBDELL.

Witnesses:

F. E. BECHTOLD, J os. H. KLEIN.

in first passing the air through finely-divided 

